The 10 'Secret' Sports Feuds

Much like the Hatfields and McCoys, there have been some serious famous feuds in sports.

Whether that's a big-time rivalry between two teams, two players or two executives in a team's front office, it's all just a part of the drama that sports brings.

And while there have been well-documented ones over the years, I'm giving you a few that have been speculated to have happened, but no one really knows for sure.

I don't want to throw gas on the fire or anything, but here are secret sports feuds that have been rumored to exist, so believe them at your own risk—no matter what the guys, themselves, say.

Pete Carroll and Marshawn Lynch

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

As much as we would all like to think that things are going great for the defending champion Seattle Seahawks, the truth is, well, they might not be.

While the team has started to focus on their Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch more in recent weeks, there has been increased tension between Beast Mode and head coach Pete Carroll.

With Lynch donning a Hawks jersey for the past five years, one would think that he and his coach would be on the same page, but there have been reports that they've been a little passive towards one another, with Carroll even saying that the two were "working on things."

Reports are surfacing that the team is fed up with Lynch and his days are numbered before next season, so only time will tell if all of these current rumors are true.

Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Both former No. 1 overall selections, the past decade has been defined by two of the NHL's greatest players—Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.

With such acclaim for both players, it's only natural to have them form some sort of rivalry and feud with one another, right?

It might not quite be Magic Johnson-Larry Bird, but with Ovechkin looking to add a Stanley Cup title to his resume—something Sid has already done—he understands that, to grow his legacy, Hart Trophies and scoring titles won't be enough to be considered amongst the game's greats.

And with both competing in the Eastern Conference, Ovie knows that he and the Caps will, most likely, have to go through Crosby's Pens for a shot at Lord Stanley's Cup.

Larry Brown and Allen Iverson

Don't be fooled by the stats, buddy-buddy attitude towards one another or the success they enjoyed together, because when Larry Brown and Allen Iverson were with the Philadelphia 76ers, things weren't all that great.

While A.I. was one of the biggest stars in the NBA during his prime, he often clashed with his head coach, consistently feuding with him on several issues, including his well-documented practice habits—which Brown blamed for the Sixers being ousted from the playoffs in 2002.

And if you thought that the tension was just coming from a stubborn Iverson, Brown himself, even admitted that he wanted to fight the former All-Star and league MVP.

Looks like there was a lot of love lost when these two were together.

Paul Pierce and LeBron James

Two of the biggest competitors in the NBA over the past decade-plus, All-Stars LeBron James and Paul Pierce has had their fair share of battles—most of which have come in the postseason.

For that reason, it's not so far-fetched to recognize the rivalry that has brewed between them since they first met in the playoffs back in 2008.

While the two bring out the very best in one another, offering some of the best head-to-head scoring games we've seen in recent years, it's Pierce who feels disrespected, believing he deserves to be mentioned as a superstar next to James, too.

And with Pierce's teams typically being the biggest challenge for LeBron, this is one rivalry that Pierce may try to be downplaying, but is very real—even if there is respect between the two guys.

Russell Wilson and Percy Harvin

As I mentioned earlier with the tension between Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and running back Marshawn Lynch, not everything is going great for the team as they defend their title.

While news has leaked out about the feud between coach and player, there were even bigger rumors that surfaced between player and player, with the team's quarterback, Russell Wilson, having a sizable tiff with then teammate Percy Harvin.

So why did this get traction? Because the team traded Harvin to the New York Jets, quite abruptly, with many looking for reasons for such a move.

Many settled on the relationship between these two stars, believing that the Hawks' locker room was beginning to have divide, with other guys forced to choose which side to take.

Even as Wilson squashed rumors, there are enough reasons to think that this thing was alive and well, adding a little bit more dysfunction to a normally stable organization.

Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi

Two of the biggest rivals in tennis history, former players Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi always seemed to be tied together for both their success and nationality, as they were greatly successful American players.

But, don't be fooled, they weren't all buddy-buddy as many would want you to think.

Although Agassi did earn eight Grand Slam singles titles in his career, he could never catch Sampras and his 14 trophies, making him, in my opinion, a bit jealous of what Pete had.

And after Agassi criticized Sampras in an autobiography a few years ago, the two exchanged even more awkwardness at a charity event later that year, letting the public in on their feud.

Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard

OK, so this one might not be as secret as some might think, as L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant has shown time and time again that he doesn't have much respect for former teammate and current Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard.

During their days together in L.A., Kobe and Dwight constantly bickered with each other, as Bryant refused to let the big man come in and not adapt to the Laker way.

While the Mamba rarely held back his criticism of D12 while both on the same team, once the center left town, both players let their real opinions show, with their recent dust-up on opening night this year being the latest proof that these two aren't the best of friends.

Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza

After busting former slugger Mike Piazza in the head with a heater during an interleague series between the New York Mets and New York Yankees in 2000, pitcher Roger Clemens immediately opened up a can of worms in this feud.

While the dislike took a backseat during the rest of the season because the two teams are in separate leagues, when the Yanks and Mets met in the World Series later that year, Clemens picked the scab off of the rivalry between the two.

In Game 2 of the Fall Classic, Clemens split Piazza's bat, with the barrel rolling towards the pitcher.

Rather than dispose of it properly, The Rocket chucked it at the feet of Piazza as he ran towards first base, with no excuse good enough for any sane person to believe.

The benches cleared, and this feud reached its full potential.

Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia

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Although Sergio Garcia was supposed to be the biggest challenger to Tiger Woods in the early-2000s to detour his reign on the PGA Tour, the rivalry never actually came to fruition—well, on the course, that is.

With Woods holding 14 major titles and Garcia still looking for his first, these two may have gone separate ways on the greatness meter, but that hasn't stopped them from still going after one another—actually, it probably only adds to the feud.

The dislike between Woods and Garcia is very real, with a long history and multiple examples of why they try and bring the other down anytime they get the chance to.

Woods might try and shrug it off, but Sergio will go after Tiger with absolutely no shame.

Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson

In one of the classic examples of two ego maniacs unable to share the spotlight, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson mutually split from the team, in large part, because he couldn't coexist with owner Jerry Jones.

Even after winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 1992 and 1993, Jones wanted more input of personnel decisions—which Johnson had at the time.

Rather than try to find a happy medium, though, the two took shots at each other, with Jones infuriating Johnson by saying that any coach could have led the Boys to a Super Bowl win in 1992, and then Johnson firing back by saying he would be interested in the Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching gig—which, at that time, was for an expansion team.

And if you think this thing has died off, just know this—Johnson still isn't inducted into the Dallas Ring of Honor, with Jones stating that he, "couldn't handle the disloyalty," which he, apparently, still isn't over.